Full time work and studying for the June 2012 LSAT Forum

[lawschool4]

I graduated in December and I wasn't happy with my LSAT score when I got it back. I am working full time, sometimes over time, so I need some advice on how to work around my schedule and find time to pick up from where I left off.

I usually work from 9am to 7pm, by the time I get home I'm exhausted but I am willing to dedicate time after to study.

Does anybody have any tips or relate to my situation who can help me through this?

Any advice would help, thanks!

[KingsBench]

To be honest it doesn't look like you're going to be able to make use of your time effectively with such a busy schedule. Your productivity level won't be any good when you're forcing yourself to study after long shifts, IMHO.

I would take in October if you can.

[bjchirco]

I don't agree with Kingsbench. Although it is not ideal, it is entirely doable. You have to stick to a routine and NEVER break it. After a few weeks your body will get used to studying for the LSAT after long shifts. I would also suggest doing weekend study sessions as well.

I am currently studying for the June 12 LSAT and also work full time. I get off at 5:30 and have been studying until 9pm. At first, I won't lie, it was miserable. All I wanted to do was go home and sleep, but once you fight through that pain and understand that this is what you will be doing for the next 2-3 hours its not so bad.

Just remember to NEVER break your schedule.

[nygrl]

I studied for the June and October tests while working full time. It's challenging but possible.

I can completely relate to feeling exhausted and wanting to do nothing after a day of work. The thing that worked for me was making dinner and drinking some coffee - it really gave me a second wind. To transition into LSAT mode, I would usually start with a timed LG section (which was my favorite section).

I also studied while I had downtime at work or during lunch breaks (I know I'm a terrible employee). I made an excel spreadsheet of all LR questions by type (you can find them online or buy them) and would drill them untimed. Even if you only have 10 minutes of downtime, you can get a few questions in and it really adds up after a while. I would also make sure to study whenever I was in transit - usually reviewing questions I had trouble with. As the test started to get closer, I used a bunch of vacation days to study.

I agree with bjchirco that a routine is important, but I was a bit flexible with my schedule. The only thing that I really stuck to was doing a timed every saturday PT. I made goals for myself and make sure I accomplished them each week, but I switched around how long I stuided each day and it didn't seem to adversely affect me.

I would also recommend staying away from extraneous TLS reading while you're studying. TLS is a fantastic resource for LSAT tips but it's really easy to look at someone else's study schedule and freak out over how much more someone else is studying or how much better other people are doing on their PTs. Since your time is really limited, I'd recommend using your free time to really relax and recharge.

[NoleMatt]

I'm working full time (8 - 5, Monday - Friday) and I've had the same problem. I usually start to get tired at 3 or 4 p.m. at work and by the time I get home and changed/ready to go study, it's already 6, but I make myself go study. This is important to me and I want to do well on the LSAT so instead of saying at 6, "I'm tired and I wont get much studying done before I have to come back and get ready for tomorrow" I try to stay positive and force myself to go study. When I'm done studying I am usually surprised how much I got done and I'm always glad I made myself go.

I definitely want to reiterate making studying a habit. As has already been said, it might suck at first, but once you get used to your study schedule it will just be second nature. Hang in there man and if you get discouraged, keep this quote from Aristotle in mind: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit."

[AbhiJ]

Well said NM.